A government plan to convert riverside farmland from agricultural to river zones could impact hundreds of strawberry farmers in western Taiwan.
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00:00People in Taiwan call Dahu Township in Miaoli a strawberry kingdom.
00:07The area in the country's west produces most of its strawberries,
00:11but despite the arrival of the winter strawberry season,
00:14farmers here are worried about their future.
00:17That's after the government announced plans to move ahead with a project
00:21to convert waterfront farmland from agricultural to river zones,
00:25a move which would bite into farmers' growing space.
00:45Many locals also say they're worried about the impact rezoning will have on tourism,
00:49as the area is a popular destination for strawberry pickers.
00:56Especially from Fanyun City to Nanhu West,
00:59the area is a popular tourist destination.
01:03The government says the plan has been in the works since 1996
01:07and was designed with flood control and safety in mind.
01:26The government says it will continue to consider public opinion
01:31while reviewing its rezoning plans
01:34to find a way to prevent flooding, minimize the impact on farmers
01:38and protect Taiwan's strawberry kingdom.
01:41Ysan Pan and Zany Qi for Taiwan Plus.